I packed a rucksack with thermos spare woollen underwear and socks. An extra pair of shoes just in case. Torch and matches and mobile phone. A bag of dogfood.

We went the way I thought I had taken the last time. There were no footsteps in the snow. The october snow had melted as soon as it had fallen but I had a rough idea. It took much less time now when I had dry shoes on my feet and food inside me. Lukas picked up my scent along the trail. His happy nose led us straight towards the cottage.

When we got to the new plantation just before oldforest I recognised where we were. Now all we had to do was get up the hillside.

Thin smoke from the chimney. I didn’t knock before stepping inside.

He must have been there recently. The embers were glowing in the stove. A half empty mug of coffee on the table. I waited in case he had just gone to get water. Heated the coffee and sat down on one of the two kitchen chairs. Aimlessly checked my mobile. I actually didn’t want to be accessible. At some point during the last few days I had turned it to silent.

There were quite a few missed calls and four text messages.

Hi jana. Would you like to join the local united indoor bandy team.

Thanks but no.

Hi sis. I can come home now please pick me up. Seems the bill isn’t paid. Bror.

Will do. 257

Hi! This is to draw your attention to unpaid invoice number thirtyonezeroeightyeight from the rosendalen rehabilitation home. Please settle without delay.

Sorry we have no money.

Hi jana. Heard that you met sonja. I would like to talk with you. Ok if we meet tomorrow night. Get in touch. Göran.

After work. I finish at quarter to five.

Then I phoned john. It rang but no reply.

I put lukas on the leash and started walking back to the village. His eager body followed a memory trail of scents stored in his nose and we got back along the route we had come. The excursion had taken a few hours but the evening was not yet over.

The house was cold. The indoor temperature was fourteen degrees.

John’s handiwork the halfmetre billets had still not been logged. The store of last year’s logs was near rockbottom and would at best only last for another day or two. I carried most of them indoors and stacked them next to the boiler apart from one armful for the open hearth.

Before going to sleep I texted john. At quarter to three that night he phoned me.

I shouldn’t have answered.

I saw your car parked at göranbäckström’s he said. He sounded morose. Not angry or upset. But different.

Hello he said. Didn’t you hear what I said.

I did I said.